The Henry County Board of Supervisors hosted an informational meeting last night about a proposed wind farm north of Mount Pleasant.
Supervisor Chad White says it may help avoid confusion about the project. “I think it went well. That’s why we facilitated the meeting is for the public to all hear the same information at the same time,” White says. “…Everybody’s hearing the same thing.”
Liberty Power and RWE Renewables have initially proposed placing up to 60 turbines in the northern part of Henry County. A representative of one of the companies indicates 50 Henry County landowners have signed contracts to let the turbines sit on their ground for at least 35 years.
More than 50 people attended the hearing. One man said he’s still on the fence about the project and another said he’s concerned about what may happen if one of the companies goes bankrupt. White says those are common concerns.
“When you have property and what the outcome and the long term plan with that ground is, that’s a big question,” White says. “I think people need to really dig deep and think hard about things like that.”
Another Henry County resident who spoke at the hearing said wind power is definitely a route the U.S. needs to consider as an alternative to fossil fuels. The two companies say the wind farm project is in its initial stages and, if enough landowners sign contracts, a second wind farm might be located in northern Henry County.
(By Theresa Rose, KILJ, Mt Pleasant)